Livingstone Walk - Ulva

The explorer David Livingstone's grandparents lived on a croft near the southern shores of beautiful Ulva and this excellent, varied circuit visits the ruins at the site as well as a cave and some basalt columns on the coastline. Make sure you leave plenty of time to get back before the last ferry. NB usually no ferry on Saturdays

Terrain

Mostly a rough path, boggy and unclear at times but marked with white wooden posts.

Public Transport

Ferry to Ulva usually on demand 9-5 April to October; no ferries on Saturdays, Sunday ferries only June to August. From Salen, there is the Ulva Ferry Community Bus, which must be booked in advance.

Start

Ulva ferry jetty. Open start point in Google Maps for directions.

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Walk Description

Stage 1

The Ulva ferry runs on demand when open and is summoned by sliding a board to reveal a red square above the jetty. The crossing is short and lands at a pier just below the excellent Boathouse cafe at the eastern end of the island. There are several waymarked walks on Ulva and a leaflet is available from the cafe; all begin by heading to the right along the track. A signpost indicates Sheila's House on the right - this old heather-thatched building is a tiny museum and also houses information about the island. Return to the signpost and follow the narrow track to the west.

Stage 2

Almost immediately a junction with many signs is reached; go straight on. At the next fork keep slightly left (signed Church) and continue with views over the creek on the right. When yet another signed junction (Farm Circuit etc.) is reached turn left, and then keep straight ahead when another route joins in from the right. At the farm buildings, turn right through the woods, passing a concrete water tank as the path ascends and passes through a gate. Ignore a path off to the right (the Ulva Farm and Shore route crosses here) and continue ahead.

Stage 3

The woods are left behind as the path continues over rocky, undulating moorland. At the next junction go left (signed for Ormaig and South Side). The path bends round to the right and continues up a depression. As it winds left and right a little, look over to the right to see a pointed standing stone; marked on the OS map as fallen it has obviously been righted since. The path then bends sharp left; leave the Ormaig route here and instead fork left onto a much smaller path beside the drystone wall - marked as the Livingstone Trail. It soon plunges downhill passing through some dense woodland.

Stage 4

It emerges from the wood and heads through bracken, marked occasionally with white-painted posts. Soon it reaches a ruined old crofters cottage; this is said to have once been the home of the grandparents of the legendary explorer and missionary David Livingstone. It seems a long way from Ulva to the Congo. From here the route turns left and soon passes below another ruined cottage. This section can be wet underfoot in places; keep looking for the marker posts as the route generally keeps to the left edge of the flatter area at first but eventually climbs up a bank.

Stage 5

Further on is a path junction. Here a small sign indicates a diversion to the left which climbs up to visit a cave. This large chamber provides shelter on a foul day, but is more distinguished by its archaeological finds, uncovered by a team from the University of Edinburgh in the 1980s. A shell midden here showed the cave was inhabited 7000 years ago, whilst the remains of a human infant, lemmings and arctic fox were also found here. The cave rather incongruously houses a wooden shed. Return to the path and follow it as it slopes diagonally towards the coastline.

Stage 6

The path heads through an old drystone dyke as it reaches the coastal cliffs, soon giving a fine view of some basaltic pillars. These are known as the Castles and were once considered by the inhabitants to rival the formations on Staffa; a claim mocked by Johnson and Boswell on their visit. Continuing the walk, a circular monument can be seen high on a hill to the left - this is the Clark Memorial. Francis William Clark bought Ulva in 1835 and carried out a brutal clearance of two thirds of the inhabitants, using methods including the burning the thatch on the houses. He built the massive memorial to himself, whilst Ulva remained in Clark ownership into the twentieth century.

Stage 7

The path continues through two sections of dense hazel woodland, climbing up a rocky ridge in the second before reaching a junction. A signed route goes up left through the trees and is signed 'Clark', whilst the Livingstone walk continues by descending steeply from this point. Pass through a gap in a drystone dyke and then out from the trees. Another junction is reached, the sign propped up using an old piece of farm machinery. The Shore and Woodland walk joins in from the left here, whilst our route continues bearing slightly right before swinging left alongside a fence.

Stage 8

The path descends to a gate to reach another junction; the shore walk now heads round the coast to the right whilst we head inland signed 'Ferry 30 mins'. Head up a walled rough track between stone walls lined by some fine trees. Continue through the farmyard, then bearing right (signed Ferry). Keep left through a gate and then bear right where a track swings round to Ulva House. Keep straight ahead where a path goes right by a barn (the shore route joining back in once more). Continue ahead at the following junctions and between a pair of massive gateposts. Finally the outward route is joined; go right here to return to the Boathouse and the ferry.

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